Invitations
by I Was Here Moments Ago
Summary: Party invitations, coffee invitations and invitations which are more demands than anything else.


I had never expected that little meeting with Hal to turn out to be so very prosperous but it was by no means an unwelcome success. His name was Toverre and he blushed the most delightful shade of red.

It was a sunny Thursday morning when the mail arrived. We rarely got mail at the farm and the moment the mailman appeared I was determined to see what was so very important that someone would _write _to us before Alcibiades had a chance to dirty the fine paper with his muddy hands. However, as soon as I saw the official seal from the bastion I immediately went to fetch him. I hoped I had been summoned back to the city; it always put him in such an entertaining mood.

He had, rather petulantly, in my opinion, decided one of the cows would be giving birth any day now and had been using that excuse to avoid me after I spent an entire day redecorating his bedroom. He told me I'd ruined the 'fong shay' which I took to be a sort of countryside version of feng shui which apparently involved muddy floorboards and fingerprints on the walls. It wasn't doing anything for _me_ in any case, and I wrongly assumed if he began every day waking up to a calming shade of green he would become at least somewhat more tranquil; Yana had been worrying about his blood pressure ever since we came back from Xi'An. But, as usual, he was pretending not to be touched and had taken to hiding out with the animals.

I found him cleaning out Petunia's stable, humming to himself. It was a delightful song, whatever it was. It certainly cheered _me _up. I watched until I simply couldn't take it anymore. "Are you _singing,_ Alcibiades?"

He spun around to face me, his cheeks already beginning to colour. "What do _you_ want?" he asked gruffly.

"I simply heard the most charming melody and couldn't resist it," I told him, making sure the letter stayed out of his sight for the time being. "You're like a siren, my dear. Do tell me what the song was. Will you sing it for _me_?"

What was becoming an increasingly familiar look of resignation passed over his face and I _did _so hope he was about to burst into song. "Yana taught us it when we were younger," he muttered, turning his back once more.

"_Did _she?" I asked, delighted. "Will you teach me it?"

He swore at me. The country was proving much more educational than I had thought it would; I'd been taught how to shear sheep, the best time for planting crops and such colourful language I had trouble imagining how Alcibiades remembered it all, and how he had the room in his brain to remember other words to use when Yana was in earshot.

"Now, now," I told him. "I might have to go away soon, is that really what you want me taking back to the city?"

He went very still for a moment, his shovel stopping in midair. "What do you mean you might have to go away?" he asked.

"I got a letter this morning from the bastion. I haven't opened it yet, I thought we could do it together." It was very generous of me, though I couldn't imagine he would see it that way.

He finally started moving again. "I don't care," he muttered. "In fact I hope you _have_ been called back to the city, it'll get you out of _my _hair."

I laughed. "You could come too. I wonder if there's another plague. Did you hear about the fever at the 'Versity last winter? Students _died-"_

_"_Are you going to open that letter or not?" he interrupted sharply.

"Would you like me to?"

His glared at me, reminding me briefly of a kitten on one of the neighboring farms who seemed to believe she was a tiger. "I don't care, but if you're not going to then piss off, some of us are trying to work here."

I smiled brightly at him. "Well, if you insist," I said, before breaking the seal. "_Oh!"_

He turned back to me quickly, then pretended it had simply been a twitch and rubbed his neck. "What?"

"It turns out you _are_ coming with me, after all!"

"No I'm not."

"Oh but you are! The Esarina is throwing a party, and we've both been invited!"

He did turn to me then, and he looked completely nonplussed. "A party. It's just a party invitation?"

I rolled my eyes. "It isn't _just _a party invitation. It's from _The Esarina_."

He looked like he was about to get angry, but managed to stop himself. Perhaps his new bedroom walls werehaving an effect on him after all. "You said you might have to-" he sighed. "I'm not going. I _can't_ go. What if the cow gives birth?"

I frowned. "She's really pregnant?"

"What do you mean 'she's really pregnant'? Of course she's pregnant. You'll have to go on your own." He didn't look sorry about this at all. In fact, he looked quite smug.

I, however, grinned. "Oh no," I told him. "I don't think I will."

* * *

I'd forgotten how _busy _the city was. I did ensure to make regular trips between the country and Thremedon, however the change always seemed to take me by surprise. They were two very different ways of life and both were wonderful, though each had their downfalls, of course. Alcibiades's heavy snoring, for example. Though at least the fact the farm somehow managed to keep itself cleaner than the winding road of the Rue. But I _was _glad to be back. The trouble with the countryside was that nothing ever happened there; at least, not until I arrived. In fact, prior to that awful incident with the plague at the Basquiat the only country folk I knew had been both very boring and the worst sort of gossips - the type who seem intent upon getting everything wrong on purpose so after a while it becomes very difficult to keep track of why exactly one has been exiled, especially when one's memories of the events leading up to said exile are hazy at best.

It was then that I stopped dead in the street. I had had a brilliant idea! Instead of following through with my plan of paying Josette and Lord Temur a visit, I would go and see Hal! Perhaps he and the Margrave Royston had been invited to the same party, and the boy _had _said in his charming letters to visit him the next time I was in Thremedon. I did believe he meant at his home in Charlotte, however I decided the 'Versity would be far more interesting than a room full of the Margrave's dusty books; I didn't like to imagine how he kept his home. I had no doubt that it would be _tasteful_, however I had a very strong feeling it would be dull, and I was now _so _hoping I would be able to accompany he and Hal to the party. I wouldn't want to offend the infamously delicate sensibilities he held about matters of taste. _And _perhaps at the 'Versity I would run into someone who had had that infamous fever, or maybe even someone who knew something about the nasty business involving the recent downfall of the esteemed Esar; everyone was being dreadfully tight lipped about the event and it was simply _maddening. _It would also keep me out of the bastion. I wasn't often trusted there, especially when foreign diplomats were over; the Arlemagnes were very touchy about _velikaia_. I imagined they'd be very touchy indeed about a _velikaia _with _my _reputation. The scandal it would surely cause (and the blood vessel which would surely rupture in dear Josette's forehead) was tempting me to change my mind and head to the bastion regardless, however I had been looking forward to the party too much to be exiled again before I had even had a chance to choose my outfit for it.

I kept on track, and was soon meandering down the 'Versity Stretch. It was a warm day, but it was by no means summer yet. That, however, apparently wasn't keeping optimistic students from sitting outside around the 'Versity, summer dresses far shorter than I remembered them to be the last time I had spent the season in the city. It was upon thinking this I felt like I had been spending far too much time with Alcibiades. I would have to rectify that; perhaps I would get a dress of my own.

I got directions to Hal's office from one of the students and went on my way - and it _was _quite the way. I struggled to imagine how the students went about their day going from one building to the next with their heavy loads, especially on the little food I imagined they ate what with the way they all seemed so fond of complaining about money. If _I _had to be here every day, in any case, I would have something done about the _mess. _ I was trying to see a sort of charm in the haphazard way it seemed to have been decorated but it just seemed half hearted. I supposed it was difficult to maintain a place which had hundreds of people moving about in it day to day but it wasn't even trying. I thought perhaps I would go for a look around, maybe sit in on a lecture or two, but now I was rather hoping to leave as soon as I could - it was rather miserable.

I rapped on the door I was informed Hal would be behind, and sure enough it was his familiar voice calling me in.

"Oh," he said as I stepped into the smallest yet most crowded room I had ever set foot in. If this was how he kept his home I was rather glad I had chosen to visit him at his work; with Royston's books and papers in addition to all of these, I wondered how they went about their business. "Caius. I mean. Hello."

"Hello," I said cheerily. He seemed very surprised, so I sat down before he could feel awkward about not having offered me a chair. "You did say I could come and see you."

He blinked at me, then nodded. "I suppose I did, yes." He glanced around the office, a sheepish look appearing on his face. "You must forgive the mess. Duncante - the professor whose office this is - recently had a breakthrough of sorts in something he's been working on for a while." He paused, and offered me a small smile. "I'm worried Charley won't make it."

"Who's Charley?" I asked. I turned my head to look about the room, expecting to see a cat cowering next to a swaying mountain of books.

"The plant," Hal laughed. "Duncante is very fond of him."

I followed Hal's gaze; I could see a few dusty leaves peeking out over yet another pile of books. "I think he's trying to escape."

"I don't know why," he smiled. "He has half of a library to entertain him." He fixed me with an inquisitive look. "What brings you back to the city?"

"Haven't you and Royston been invited?" I asked. "The -"

It was then that the door burst open. "Hal, I need you to- oh. _Oh_."

A young man was standing in the doorway. He stared at me. I stared at him. He was very small, almost my size, with the most wonderful nose. The rest of him looked slightly like a scarecrow, albeit a very well put together scarecrow. Perhaps I would take him back to the farm with me. We didn't have a scarecrow, which led me to wonder _why _we didn't have a scarecrow. I wondered whether Alcibiades was frightened of them; I did _so _hope he was, I would have such fun helping him face that particular fear. "Hello there," I said curiously, wondering if he would actually faint. He looked as though he were about to, which I had to admit I rather enjoyed.

"I know who you are," he said, very quickly and slightly breathlessly, then blushed a brighter red than Alcibiades had gone when I had allowed him to talk me out of trying to get him to wear a corset to a celebration Mamoru had invited us to.

I looked at Hal, who looked like he was trying very hard not to smile. "What a delightful coincidence," I said, turning back to the boy. "So do I! But I don't know who _you _are."

He stared at me for a moment and once more gave me the impression that he was barely clinging to consciousness. I was _delighted_ to have had this effect on him. I wondered if I could make him pass out. I was determined to try.

"MynameisToverre," he said in one quick breath, glancing from Hal back to me. I didn't think it would have been possible for him to blush even harder, but he seemed to manage it. It was quite impressive, really. He cleared his throat. "Toverre," he said again, inching back towards the door.

"He's one of my students," Hal told me, and I could see he was trying very hard to cover his amusement with concern. "Did you need anything, Toverre?"

He blinked at Hal, as though he had only just remembered he were there. "Yes. No. I - I should have _knocked_."

"Yes," I grinned. "People tend to consider that the politer thing to do. Would you like to sit down?" Which, admittedly, wasn't very polite of _me_ considering it was Hal's office but I refused to let him out of my sight before I had made him faint at least twice. "You can tell me exactly how much you know about me."

"I-" He reminded me suddenly of the foxes I used to save from the hunters in the country, cornered and terrified. How endearing!

"Sit down," I told him firmly. "I shan't take no for an answer."

Toverre looked back at the door so I decided more drastic measures would have to be taken. And if said measures didn't work in having him sit down then at least perhaps they would achieve my goal of getting him to faint. "Unless of course you would rather discuss it over coffee later today?"

Hal decided that that moment would be an appropriate moment to have a coughing fit. I didn't let it distract me, however, as I was having far too much fun watching the colour drain out of Toverre's face. "No," he said, somewhat rudely. "I mean- coffee- _why would you want to go for coffee_?"

I did believe I was _flustering_ him. I decided then and there he would be the one accompanying me to the Esarina's party; I hadn't flustered anyone in so long it was positively _criminal_. "Have I offended you? Have I unearthed haunting memories of terrible experiences you have had with coffee? Because if it's not going to violently harm your mental state I'm afraid I shall rather have to insist."

He was staring at Hal, apparently under the false impression I would allow Hal to help him. "Are you staying at the 'Versity?" I asked. He nodded. "Then I shall find you at three o'clock. And if you're not in your room," I added, smiling the warm smile Alcibiades had (rudely) told me looked predatory, "I shall simply have to hunt you down."

He went very pale and I thought perhaps I would get to see him lose consciousness after all, but instead of passing out he fled the room, leaving me alone with Hal.

"That was cruel," he told me, though he didn't look entirely disapproving.

"Inviting him out for coffee?" I asked, leaning back in the chair in a considerably better mood than I had been not five minutes ago. Even the poor plant seemed more cheerful.

"_That_ was an invitation? It seemed more like a demand."

"Would he have said yes otherwise?" I asked.

Hal hesitated, then shrugged. "No, I suppose not. But that-"

"He _wanted_ to. Or else he would have simply sat down."

Hal gave me a look I was more used to seeing on Alcibiades's face after I had said something he couldn't fathom despite it making perfect sense. I had been under the impression Hal, being a professor at the 'Versity, might have been slightly more intelligent than the good general, but it seemed to be taking him a while to catch up.

I decided he needed reassuring. "I promise I shall not harm your student, charming though he may be. I shall see you at the party, then- you _are_ invited, aren't you?"

He nodded, and I rose. "Good. It can be a double date!"

Hal still looked as though he needed convincing I would have Toverre returned home in one piece, but I was far too excited to be the one to do it. He could see for himself on Friday evening.

For now, I had a date to prepare for!

* * *

He was in his room when I knocked, which took me by surprise. I'd come early, expecting to have to search the entirety of Miranda and Upper Charlotte for him, but he'd gone and made it easy for me.

"You're early," he accused from behind the door.

"I thought I might have had to look for you. You should really have made your intentions clearer if you had wanted me to be on time."

He was silent for a moment and how I wished I could see the look on his face. "Wait."

"Is the door open?" I asked, trying it, though to my disappointment it was locked.

"I'm not _ready_," he hissed.

I decided I would have to keep him speaking if he wasn't going to open the door for me, just to be sure he wasn't trying to escape through the window. I wasn't prepared to lose him now I had planned our outfits to match and booked a trip to the tailor's for us tomorrow afternoon. "Would you like any help _getting_ ready?" Silence fell again and I realised he must have thought I was attempting to seduce him. I decided not to scare him off completely, and added, "Some zippers and sashes and so on _are _placed in rather difficult places to reach."

"I'll manage," he snapped, and I imagined him going that shade of red I was becoming so fond of. I didn't have to imagine for long, though, because at that moment the door swung open. "I expected _you_ to know it wasn't decent to rush people when they're trying to-"

"You look wonderful," I interrupted. As charming as I found how utterly indignant he was, I did have to remember I wanted to take him out again. Perhaps I would even have to postpone the fainting until Friday.

He stopped mid-sentence, anyway, and glared at me. "Yes. Well." He cleared his throat, then sniffed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I told him as he locked his door behind him. "I do like those gloves."

To my surprise (he _did_ keep surprising me, it was rather enjoyable), he looked pleased. "Oh do you? Laure- my friend, Laure, _hates_ them. Says they're not practical."

"Well of course they're not practical," I said cheerfully, taking his arm. He went very still, before he pulled it away. Some men _were_ funny about things like that. In fact, there was one man I knew in the country who all but fled if you _looked _at him for too long. "But of course that's not to say one shouldn't wear them."

"Yes," he muttered, staring straight ahead of him and suddenly looking very much like he wanted to be elsewhere.

I thought I might have to promise him I wouldn't touch his arm again, though it would be far easier and more fun for both of us to simply ensure he began enjoying himself soon. "I know a wonderful place down the Rue," I told him. "The students tend to avoid it because the coffee tastes of slightly more than hot water and they all do seem to enjoy that in coffee." Toverre shrugged. "An eloquent input," I nodded, smiling brightly at him.

"I don't drink much coffee," he said, sounding like I had just insulted his entire family.

I waved a hand. "Well you shall drink little else after you have tried this," I assured him. "_Have_ you had bad experiences with coffee, by the way? You seem awfully tense about the subject."

He coloured again. "You're Caius Greylace," he told me. I wondered whether he had misheard the question.

I frowned. "Yes. But I don't believe I'm renowned for luring young men to coffee shops and poisoning their drinks. Unless a new rumour has started. If so, that one is particularly original and I encourage you to tell everyone you meet I attempted to do the same with you."

"You _want_ me to tell people you tried to poison me?" he asked, before shaking his head. "I just meant... I don't know why you're taking me out."

"I believe it's called a date, my dear."

His eyes went so wide I thought they might fall out. "Oh. But. I didn't- why - was that a joke?"

"Not at all," I said. I cast a longing look at the airman's hat shop as we passed, noting with delight that Toverre had done the same. "Would you have liked it to have been?"

He stared at me as though he were trying to discern whether _that_ was a joke too. "No," he said carefully.

I couldn't help feeling rather smug. "Good," I told him as we reached the cafe. "In here."

I directed him to a seat in the corner of the shop and went to order us both coffee, leaving him to calm down. I knew Alcibiades would find me unbearable when I returned to the farm and told him of how someone had not only _wanted_ to come out with me but that they had almost fainted dead away at the sight of me. I couldn't _wait_ to let him know.

When I returned with the coffee I found him eyeing a stain on the table next to ours. "Would you like me to ask them to clean it?" I asked.

He coloured immediately, and all but snatched the cup out of my hands. "No," he muttered. "It's _fine_."

"Perhaps coffee was a bad idea," I mused. "Given how it upsets you so."

"It doesn't upset me," he snapped. "You're being ridiculous."

I smirked. "Of course I am. Though can you blame me? Luring me here with false promises and then failing to deliver?" He looked terribly confused, so I added, "You're yet to tell me what exactly you've heard about me."

"Ah," he said, and cleared his throat. "Well. The... usual."

"The exile?" He nodded. "My work for The Esar?" He nodded again, albeit more stiffly. "The rumours about my madness?" His nod was a tiny movement this time, paired with a delicate shrug of the shoulders. "Of course, it depends on what you've heard, but the main points of each are true."

"Yes," he said quietly. "I assumed as much. Especially the madness, actually. Are you _really_ going to use that spoon?"

I looked down at the spoon. I didn't see how it was reason to be rude about one's mental state. "Shouldn't I?"

He winced. "_No_. _Look_ at it." He took it out of my hands to thrust it in my face. "Can't you _see_ it?"

"I can see little else, actually-"

"It's _filthy_."

People were beginning to stare and I was beginning to enjoy myself more profoundly than I had since discovering Alcibiades's old collection of stuffed animals in helping Yana clean out the attic. "It doesn't _look_ filthy."

He glared at me, then at the spoon, then at me once more. "Yes it does."

"Would you like me to use a different spoon?"

"Why bother?" he asked with an air of melodrama I appreciated. "They'll all be just as bad."

I decided against stirring my tea, in favour of Toverre not having a very public breakdown; having been on both sides of a similar incident (albeit not because of a spoon) I had found it was never as interesting for the person _having_ the breakdown as it was for the onlookers.

We went on drinking our coffee and conversing; I discovered he had come from the country last year and had a tendency to fall awfully quiet when the incident with The Esar was brought up; I would have to question him about that when I was more certain he wouldn't dart away in the middle of proceedings.

When we eventually left, I, for one, was under the impression it had been going quite well; he hadn't fainted or burst into tears _once_ and apart from insulting my choice of green in discussing my recent bout of interior decorating he seemed significantly more at ease than he did upon first meeting me. It made a novel change; usually people grew more wary of me as time went on. Perhaps it had something to do with inhaling too much country air growing up; those who had seemed to like me more than those who had not. I would have to conduct an experiment. Perhaps Toverre and Alcbiades could help. We could get a paper published at the 'Versity and the students would be shipped off to shear sheep for a year to become human beings with better taste.

I had just finished telling him the thrilling story of how I had very nearly been killed by the Ke-Han Emperor when we reached his room at the 'Versity. He looked at me nervously when we paused outside his door, though I never did ask whether that was because he was afraid I might kiss him or because I had embellished some points in the story, making my escape _much_ more narrow for his amusement. "Shall I pick you up at ten tomorrow for our fitting?" I asked him. "I'm sure I could guess your measurements but it would be a lot easierif you were to just come al-"

"Fitting?" he interrupted, his eyes wide and panicked. "Fitting for _what_?"

I realised then that I had neglected to inform him he would be accompanying me to The Esarina's party, though there was really no need to sound so distressed about it. "The Esarina is throwing a party on Friday," I told him. "I assumed you would want to go."

His eyes went even wider and I once again fell under the impression that they might fall out. It was then I was struck by the strangest feeling. It wasn't _worry_; I knew I could persuade him to accompany me though a different method than the one I was used to in persuading Alcibiades would be called for. I found I simply didn't _want_ to have to persuade him. Perhaps I was overtired from my long journey to the city.

"You could have asked," he snapped, and I found myself smiling. "Instead of _assuming_ I would accompany you."

"Shall I see you at ten o'clock, then?" I asked.

He stared at me. "_Fine_," he said, then slammed the door in my face.

"I shall be on time this time," I called to him before I left, inexplicably cheerful.

I should have to write to Alcibiades immediately. He would be _thrilled_.


End file.
